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Teaching Strategies for Students with Special Needs

All students with special needs are unique. Their needs may be recognized by teacher and parent observations and/or assessment by a certified professional. Some students may have their needs formally identified as an exceptionality through an Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC). Regardless of the manner by which needs are determined, teachers and school teams can implement strategies as soon as a student’s need is realized. It is important to document and assess the effectiveness of strategies employed and revise them in order to achieve success.

The teaching strategies and resources on this website have been organized along three main lines. Related definitions, characteristics and resources are included for each area:

Student deficits in specific skills that impede academic, physical, behavioural, and self help activities in daily living or social achievement. Student needs are determined by teachers and/or other professionals (sometimes through formal assessments) and in consultation with parents/guardians.
An area of student need involving thoughts, feelings, statements and/or actions of harming or killing oneself.
An area of student need, involving difficulty with organizing and rotating visual information.
An area of student need where students demonstrate either victim, bystander or bulling behaviours. Bullying behaviours involve using strength or influence with the deliberate intent of making the target victim feel uncomfortable, verbally, physically, socially and/or over social media. Students may frequently switch between roles, depending on the social situation.
An area of student need of any deliberate student absence from school, often referred to as truancy and/or chronic absenteeism that is not due to legitimate illness.
An area of student need involving an unsatisfactory psychological state, in terms of emotional, behavioural, physical and/or social well-being.
An area of student need, involving difficulty with coordination between hands and eyes to produce accurate physical movements.
An area of student need, involving difficulty with understanding and/or expressing oral language.
An area of student need involving students who do are not engaged behaviourally (do not participate in school activities), emotionally (feel exclude or separate from the school), nor cognitively (tend not to take ownership for their learning).
An area of student need, involving difficulty with understanding and/or expressing oral language.
An area of student need, involving difficulty with using time effectively.
An area of student need, involving difficulty with changes.
An area of student need, involving difficulty starting work.
An area of student need, involving difficulties with social interactions.
An area of student need, involving difficulty with following logical steps to solve a problem.
An area of student need, involving difficulty with the way that the brain takes in information from the senses.
An area of student need, involving difficulty with using appropriate behaviours for a given situation.
An area of student need, involving a negative concept of one’s abilities and worth.
An area of student need, involving difficulty with the self-expression of one’s needs.
An area of student need, involving difficulty with the speed and automaticity of cognitive skills.
An area of student need, involving detecting and discriminating differences in speech sounds. This is an oral skill and is not based on the student’s knowledge of letters.
An area of student need, involving a student’s own personal safety and/or the safety of others.
An area of student need, involving hygiene, dressing, toileting and/or eating.
An area of student need, involving difficulty in following or developing a system of managing materials and ideas.
An area of student need, involving a difficulty with recognizing and understanding concepts, especially with relations between patterns and complex problems.
An area of student need, involving difficulty with physically moving.
An area of student need, involving difficulty with understanding and effective use of one’s mental strengths and weaknesses.
An area of student need, involving difficulty remembering.
An area of student need, involving reduced vision, even when corrected with glasses.
An area of student need, involving difficulty with receptive processing of oral information.
An area of student need that involves low levels of cognition. Reduced intellectual ability reduces the understanding and functioning of a student compared to age/grade peers.
An area of student need, involving advanced cognitive ability for the student’s age/grade level.
An area of student need, involving a medical condition of the ears that involves a severe impairment in hearing, not corrected fully by hearing aids.
An area of student need, involving gross (large) physical motor skills.
An area of student need, involving fine (small) physical motor skills of the fingers and hands.
An area of student need, involving challenges in prioritizing, organizing and completing tasks, especially when dealing with timelines, unexpected events, problems, and/or new challenges.
An area of student need, involving the acquisition of the English language. While not officially part of special education, English Language Learners will have special education needs in the same proportion as students whose first language is English.
An area of student need, involving difficulty with expression of feelings appropriately.
An area of student need involving a self-imposed restricted diet or refusal to eat and/or purging after eating.
A diagnosed condition, where there is a complete loss of the ability to hear from one or both ears.
An area of student need characterized by chronic sadness and feelings of inadequacy. Students may have low moods that negatively impact their thoughts, feelings, behaviours, views and physical well-being.
An area of student need, involving attentive listening comprehension skills amongst background noise/conversations and/or processing to understand information given orally.
A medical condition of the eyes that involves a severe impairment in vision, not corrected by glasses.
An area of student need, involving difficulty with maintaining concentration, especially on non-preferred activities, while ignoring distractions.
An area of student need, based on his/her speech pronunciation.
An area of student need, involving frequent worry and nervousness.
An area of student need, based on his/her demonstrated behaviour.
An area of student need based on his/her demonstrated verbal, non-verbal or physical actions.

In Ontario, some students with special needs are formally identified as exceptional by an Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC), which is made up of at least three people, one of whom must be a principal or superintendent.
A formal exceptionality, identified by an Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC), in the category of Communication.
A formal exceptionality, identified by an Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC), in the category of Physical.
A formal exceptionality, identified by an Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC), in the category of Multiple, which indicates that the student’s needs are in two or more categories of exceptionality.
A formal exceptionality, identified by an Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC), in the category of Intellect, based on a psychological diagnosis characterized by below-average intelligence.
A formal exceptionality, identified by an Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC), in the category of Communication. Learning Disabilities are also a diagnosed psychological condition.
A formal exceptionality, identified by and Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC), in the category of Communication.
A formal exceptionality, identified by an Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC), in the category of Intelligence.
A formal exceptionality, identified by an Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC), in the category of Intelligence. Also a psychological, diagnosed condition characterized by significantly below average intellectual ability, approximately the second percentile or below. Deficits in adaptive functioning are also present.
A formal exceptionality identified by and Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC), in the category of Communication. Also a medically-diagnosed condition, involving the inability, or severe reduction in ability, to hear.
A formal exceptionality, identified by an Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC), in the category of Physical. Also a diagnosed medical condition, involving the inability or reduced ability to see.
A formal exceptionality, identified by an Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC), in the category of Behaviour.
A formal exceptionality, identified by an Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC), in the category of Communication. Incorporates a diagnosed group of three specific psychological conditions: Asperger’s Syndrome; Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS); and Autistic Disorder.

Medical and psychological conditions are diagnosed by a variety of doctors, often using The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM –IV), published by the American Psychiatric Association. The DSM-IV provides criteria for the diagnoses of all mental health disorders for children and adults, along with common treatments.
Link to a search engine for a range of conditions not listed here.
A diagnosed condition involving heightened feelings of tension and worry, often resulting in physical symptoms, behaviours and distortions in thinking.
A medical condition, affecting girls, resulting from only having one intact X chromosome. Characteristics of Turner Syndrome include short stature, drooping eye lids and abnormal bone development.
A medical, inherited condition, resulting in hearing and vision loss.
A diagnosed condition of the nervous system, characterized by a variable expression of unwanted movements and noises (tics).
Rett syndrome is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by the loss of spoken language and hand use. Rett syndrome is no longer included in the DSM nor as part of the autism spectrum. Students with Rett syndrome have typical receptive language and intelligence. Needs include significant apraxia, expressive language and physical disabilities. Access to speech-generating devices improves success at school.
A diagnosed condition that occurs in boys who have an extra X chromosome in most of their cells. Klinefelter’s Syndrome is also referred to as XXY. The syndrome can affect different stages of physical, language and social development.
A medical, inherited condition, causing developmental disabilities.
A diagnosed condition of the nervous system, characterized by a variable expression of unwanted movements and noises (tics).
A diagnosed medical condition that occurs when a serious birth abnormality in the spinal cord occurs, leaving the spinal cord lacking in its usual protective skeletal and soft tissue coverings.
A diagnosed medical condition, characterized by recurrent seizures that may include repetitive muscle jerking called convulsions, caused by a disruption of the brain's normal electrical activity.
A diagnosed condition in which an individual cannot or will not speak, in specific situations that usually contain conversation.
A formal exceptionality, identified by an Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC), in the category of Intellect, based on a psychological diagnosis characterized by below-average intelligence.
A diagnosed condition, where a problem with social interaction occurs because a child's basic physical and emotional needs have been neglected, particularly when the child is an infant.
A diagnosed genetic condition, caused by the absence of chromosomal material. Characteristics include developmental impairments, poor muscle tone, short stature, small hands and feet, abnormal sexual development and distinguishing facial features. Insatiable appetite is a feature of PWS, and this can lead to health problems with obesity and with the consumption of non-food items.
A diagnosed anxiety condition that can develop after exposure to any event which results in psychological trauma.
One of the three Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and one of the five conditions in the category of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) as outlined in the DSM-IV. PDD-NOS is characterized by severe and persistent impairments in social interaction skills, communication skills, with stereotypical behaviour, but do not meet the criteria for another PDD disorder.
A diagnosed anxiety disorder condition, based on unreasonable thoughts, fears and/or worries (obsessions) that make the sufferer perform routines (compulsions), in an attempt to manage the anxieties. Cognitive therapy is suggested to help deal with OCD.
A diagnosed psychological condition that hinders the acceptance of authority and is characterized by rebellious disobedience. A professional will diagnose the disorder based on the established criteria, including symptoms, for at least six months.
A diagnosed condition, where damage to the nervous system has resulted in the loss of some physical or mental functions. A neurological disability may affect a person's capacity to move or manipulate things, or the way they act or express their feelings.
A diagnosed condition for a group of inherited disorders in which strength and muscle bulk gradually decline over time.
A formal exceptionality, identified by an Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC), in the category of Communication. Learning Disabilities are also a diagnosed psychological condition.
A diagnosed inherited condition, caused by a 'fragile' or broken site on the X chromosome, resulting in mental and physical impairment.
A diagnosed condition, related to the numerous neurological problems that can result when a child is exposed to alcohol before birth.
A diagnosed medical condition, characterized by recurrent seizures that may include repetitive muscle jerking called convulsions, caused by a disruption of the brain's normal electrical activity.
A diagnosed medical condition, caused by extra genetic material, resulting in impaired development, both mentally and physically. It affects about one in every 800 babies.
A diagnosed psychological condition, characterized by chronic sadness and feelings of inadequacy
A diagnosed condition, where there is a complete loss of the ability to hear from one or both ears.
A diagnosed condition that impairs the body's ability to move salt and water in and out of cells, which causes the lungs and pancreas to secrete thick mucus, blocking passageways and preventing proper function.
A diagnosed psychiatric condition, characterized by a pattern of behaviour where the rights of others or social norms are violated. Symptoms include verbal and physical aggression toward others and/or animals, destructive behaviour, lying, truancy, vandalism, and stealing.
One of the five Pervasive Developmental Disorders, as outlined in the DSM-IV. Childhood Disintegrative Disorder is characterized by normal development until the age of two, and then a significant loss of social and communication skills, with a development of restricted and repetitive behaviours occurring before the age of ten.
A diagnosed condition, affecting body movement and muscle co-ordination, resulting from an anomaly during brain development.
A diagnosed receptive language disorder, which makes it difficult to process sounds in speech.
Medical and psychological conditions are diagnosed by a variety of doctors, often using The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM –IV), published by the American Psychiatric Association.
A medical condition of the eyes that involves a severe impairment in vision, not corrected by glasses.
A diagnosed medical condition that involves intense phases of depression and mania that impair daily functioning.
One of the three Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), as outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV), and one of the five conditions of the Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) category. Autistic Disorder is characterized by severe impairment in social interaction, communication (could be non-verbal) and repetitive and restrictive patterns of behaviour that are non-functional.
A diagnosed condition that is life long. The characteristics of AD/HD include inattention, impulsivity and over-activity problems. The condition affects somewhere between five to eight percent of children still in school.
A diagnosed genetic condition that mainly affects the nervous system. Related characteristics include delayed development, intellectual deficits, severe communication problems and difficulty with movement and stability (ataxia).
A diagnosed condition, related to the numerous neurological problems that can result when a child is exposed to alcohol before birth.
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Coming soon.
A diagnosed medical condition of damage to the brain, resulting from a traumatic or non-traumatic injury, occurring after birth. Traumatic brain injuries involve an external force, like a fall, hit or motor vehicle accident. Non-traumatic brain injuries could result from loss of oxygen, a brain lesion, toxins or illness like meningitis. Temporary or permanent cognitive, emotional, behavioural or physical impairments are symptoms of acquired brain injuries. Acquired brain injuries do not include degenerative conditions like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s Diseases or Multiple Sclerosis (MS), nor congenital conditions like Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS).